Matcha tea is ground, steamed shade grown tea leaves. The preparation for making matcha starts weeks before the tea harvest. The tea leaves are covered to prevent direct sunlight reaching them. This shading process turns the leaves darker and causes changes in the chemical composition of the leaves that results in the formation of am...

Matcha tea is ground, steamed shade grown tea leaves. The preparation for making matcha starts weeks before the tea harvest. The tea leaves are covered to prevent direct sunlight reaching them. This shading process turns the leaves darker and causes changes in the chemical composition of the leaves that results in the formation of amino acids and higher levels of caffeine than found in other teas. These leaves are then dried, de-veined, de-stemmed and ground into matcha.